This invention relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to electronic components and methods of manufacture.
Wedge bonded aluminum wire bonds are used to electrically connect a semiconductor device to a leadframe. For high power devices, the aluminum wire bonds are typically 0.1 to 0.7 millimeter in diameter to provide high current carrying capacity. However, devices using aluminum wires have a higher on resistance compared to copper wires, and the higher on resistance degrades the electrical performance of the devices. Furthermore, in order to increase conductivity, either more than one aluminum wire must be bonded to the bonding pad or multiple bonds must be made with the same wire. However, these extra manufacturing steps reduce productivity.
The use of copper wires reduces the on resistance and improves the electrical performance of the devices over that of aluminum wires, but the use of copper wires reduces the manufacturability of the devices. In particular, large diameter copper wires cannot be bonded to bonding pads without damaging the device by cracking or forming craters in the semiconductor substrate or overlying dielectric layers.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved method of manufacture that produces an electronic component that is suitable for use in high power applications, that has low on resistance, and that will improve productivity.